The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Senior Full Stack Web Developer

Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of full-stack development experience in both front-end and back-end.
  • Active Secret clearance (Top Secret preferred; sponsorship available for the right candidate).
  • Proficient in React + TypeScript and at least one back-end language (Node.js, Python, or Java).
  • Familiarity with REST and GraphQL APIs, and authentication standards (OAuth/OIDC).
  • Experience with project management tools like Jira and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI).
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement end-to-end features for mission-critical web applications.
  • Contribute to architectural discussions and translate strategic guidance into practical designs.
  • Write high-quality, test-driven code using modern technologies.
  • Conduct code reviews and mentor junior engineers.
  • Collaborate with product managers and architects to ensure timely releases.
  • Serve as a technical expert in client demos and program reviews.
  • Drive solutions to complex problems while adapting to evolving requirements.

Benefits

  • Work-life balance initiatives including flexible workplace options.
  • Access to various employee clubs and workshops on health and finance.
  • Participate in off-site social events and local cultural activities discounts.
  • Opportunity to work on mission-critical applications that impact national security.
  • Encouragement of professional growth through mentorship and team collaboration.
Full Job Description

Job Description Summary:

Location

South Tampa, FL – Hybrid (3days onsite, 2days remote).

DraperFullStack Group builds missioncritical web applications for military, government, and commercial customers. We operate like an incubator, giving engineers space to experiment, iterate, and deliver software that protects lives and advances the national interest.

Why It Matters

At the senior level you translate highlevel strategy into reliable, maintainable code and help shape the technical direction of multimilliondollar programs. Your work directly influences delivery speed, quality, and the confidence our government partners place in Drapers solutions.

Core Responsibilities

- Design and implement endtoend features for missioncritical web apps.
- Contribute to architectural discussions and turn seniorlevel guidance into concrete designs.
- Write highquality, testdriven code (React+TypeScript, Node.js/Java/Python).
- Conduct code reviews, enforce standards, and mentor junior teammates.
- Partner with product managers and principal architects to deliver regular releases.
- Participate in client demos and program reviews as a technical subjectmatter expert.

Required Qualifications

- 5years fullstack development experience (frontend & backend).
- Active Secret clearance (TS preferred; sponsorship possible for the right candidate).
- Proficiency in React+TypeScript, a modern backend language (Node.js, Python, or Java), and REST/GraphQL APIs.
- Experience with authentication standards (OAuth/OIDC).
- Handson use of Jira (or similar), Git, and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI).
- BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

- Docker containers and basic Kubernetes concepts.
- Deployments on AWS, Azure, or GCP; familiarity with CI/CD automation in the cloud.
- Proven experience mentoring junior engineers or leading a small scrum team.

About You

- Insatiable appetite to learn new technologies and share knowledge.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and forging clear paths to success.
- Passionate about building products youd proudly use yourself.
- Thrives in a team that pushes each other to excel daily.

The description below provides further information on Draper's view of its senior staff members.

Job Description:

Duties/Responsibilities
 Independently execute task assignments.
 Designs algorithms using modern theory and proven techniques, adheres to software best practices.
 Analyzes designs to demonstrate performance and functionality.
 Develops and executes software tests to check compliance with requirements.
 Prepares technical data, procedures, reports, drawings, manuals, and other required documentation.
 Communicates with customers and stakeholders to establish requirements and describe the design and deliverables.
 Drives solutions to complex problems, actively participate in requirements development, propose ways forward, and adapt appropriately to changes in requirements.
 Contributes to system architecture decisions and leads the architecture of sub-systems.
 Provides insight and suggest adaptations or modifications to processes and/or applications based on quantitative data or results.
 Identifies project technical risks and develops and executes mitigation strategies.
 Actively mentors less experienced staff and provides thoughtful, constructive feedback.
 Lead a small team of software developers on projects.

Skills/Abilities
 Curiosity-driven approach to solving complex, customer-driven problems as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
 Demonstrate an ability to learn new programming languages and technologies quickly.
 Collaborate and communicate effectively and openly with multi-disciplinary program team members, program leadership, and non-technical personnel.
 A team player able to work in a fast-paced environment with the ability to balance multiple competing tasks and demands.

Education
Requires a bachelor's in Computer Science or other related field. Master's degree is preferred.

Experience
5-10 years experience in Software Engineering or related field.

Additional Job Description:

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance. Secret Clearance is desired, Top Secret is preferred.

Job Location - City:

St. Petersburg

Job Location - State:

Florida

Job Location - Postal Code:

33716

The US base salary range for this full-time position is

$82,300.00 - $220,000.00

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Union ranges will be in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement's approved rates by location and role. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.  Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and does not include bonuses or benefits.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now .

About The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

Draper Laboratory is an American non-profit research and development organization, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts; its official name is The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. The laboratory specializes in the design, development, and deployment of advanced technology solutions to problems in national security, space exploration, health care and energy. The laboratory was founded in 1932 by Charles Stark Draper at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop aeronautical instrumentation, and came to be called the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. During this period the laboratory is best known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer, the first silicon integrated circuit based computer. It was renamed for its founder in 1970, and separated from MIT in 1973 to become an independent, non-profit organization. The expertise of the laboratory staff includes the areas of guidance, navigation, and control technologies and systems; fault-tolerant computing; advanced algorithms and software systems; modeling and simulation; and microelectromechanical systems and multichip module technology.
Learn more about The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory

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